At a certain city there were a King and a Queen; the Queen had a
Prince and a Princess. While they were thus, the King and Queen
reached a very great age. Afterwards the King says to the Minister,
"When the Prince has become big give him the kingship;" having said
it, he gave the [temporary] kingship to the Minister. After that,
the King and Queen died.
After that, while the Minister and Prince and Princess, these three
persons, are living thus, the Minister becomes changed towards the
Prince. The men of that country perceived it. After that, men say
to the Prince, "Should you, Sir, stay, the Minister will behead you;
you go to another country," they said.
After that, the Prince, taking the painting (portrait) of the Princess,
said, "Don't you descend from the floor of the upper story until
the time when I come back." Saying it, the Prince went to another
city. The Prince went near a widow woman of that city.
The widow woman asks, "Of what village are you?" she asked.
The Prince says, "I don't know either my village or country," he said.
After that, the widow woman says, "You stay near me." When she said it,
the Prince having said, "It is good, mother," remained no long time.
Afterwards, when the King of the city, having been at the palace,
is going near the widow woman's house, the King having seen that the
Prince is in the open space in front of the house, the King came back
to the palace laughing with pleasure, and called the Minister. After
the Minister came running, the King says, "To-day a pleasure has gone
to me," he said.
The Minister says, "Who is the man whom you, Sir, saw to-day in the
morning? If you, Sir, see that man every day in the morning it will
be good," he said.
After that, the King says to the Minister, "Calling the widow woman
and the boy, come back," he said. Afterwards the Minister, summoning
them, came.
The King says to the widow woman, "Give me the boy; I will give him
food, drink, and clothing," he said. The widow woman gave him the boy.
After that, the King having built a house for the boy, and given him
food, drink, and clothing, said, "Show yourself to me in the morning at
six," he said. The Prince on the following day went at six, and stayed
[there]. After that, the Prince on the following day came at seven.
Then the King says, "Why are you such a time?" he asked. The Prince
says, "I went to sleep," he said. After that, the Prince on the
following day at eight went near the King.
Afterwards the King says to the Prince, "Should you not come at six
to-morrow I shall behead you," and scolded him. On the day after that
the Prince did not go at all.
After that, the King, having called the servants, says, "Look ye for
what [reason] that Prince did not come."
The servants having gone, when they are peeping through the door,
the Prince lying down and taking a painting, kisses it, weeps, places
it on the ground, takes it again. These servants having seen it, told
the King. "If so, seizing the Prince come [with him]," he said. The
Minister, seizing him, came.
The King asks, "Why did you not come?" Then the Prince said, "I went
to sleep." Then the King said, "Give me your painting."
Afterwards the Prince brought and gave it. As soon as the King looked
at the painting he asked, "What [relative] of yours [280] is this
Princess?" The Prince said, "My younger sister." Then the King says,
"Bring the Princess for me to marry her."
Then the Minister says, "Having been keeping that woman three months,
because she is a courtesan I sent her away," he says.
The Prince said, "This Minister neither saw my younger sister, and
nor was keeping her. If you were keeping her, mention the Princess's
marks."
The Minister says to the King, "Please put this Prince in prison
until the time when I come," he said to the King. He put the Prince
in prison.
Afterwards, the Minister, asking the King for the Princess's
portrait, and taking a good entertainment, having embarked, went to
the city in which is the Princess. Having gone [there] he exhibits
the entertainment.
The old woman who is with (lit., near) the Princess having seen it,
[said] to the Princess, "There is an entertainment which was never
at our city. Let us go to look at it," she said.
After that, the Princess says, "Elder brother said, 'Until the time
when I come don't descend from the floor of the upper story.' Because
of it I will not. You look and come back," she said.
Afterwards, having seen the old woman the Minister asks, "Is there
a Princess [here] like this picture?" Then the old woman said,
"There is," she said. The Minister said to the old woman, "[After]
calling her come back," he said.
After that, the old woman says, "The Princess's elder brother said,
'Until the time when I come back don't descend from the floor of the
upper story,' he said; because of it she will not descend," she said.